Battle Train is a deckbuilding roguelite where locomotives are your main weapon

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Building model train sets offers a unique satisfaction, especially when you connect tracks and design a seamless route for a train to travel from one point to another. Interestingly, the joy can be amplified when trains are used as destructive tools and you’re clearing a path for chaos instead. Battle Train, developed by Terrible Posture Games (Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, Mothergunship) in collaboration with Nerd Ninjas and published by Bandai Namco, is an innovative take on deckbuilding roguelites, as it emphasizes tactical train battles. During our visit to PAX East, Shacknews had a sneak peek at this game.

In this game, Battle Train isn’t merely its title; it’s the name of the world’s most watched game show. Here, players aim to be the sole conductor remaining amidst a vibrant group of characters. The Supreme President Conductor is an eccentric, somewhat power-hungry figure who deserves a dose of humility. Players will progressively ascend towards him by constructing powerful decks and employing strategic planning to design deadly train tracks for their doom locomotives.

In Battle Train, players engage in strategic battles centered around constructing tracks that connect friendly train stations to enemy depots. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all of the opponent’s depots before they manage to do the same to yours. The game utilizes cards representing track pieces of various lengths and angles, which are placed on a grid. Once a continuous path has been established from the station to the enemy depot, a train loaded with explosives can be sent for a powerful strike. Consequently, adjacent tracks will be destroyed, necessitating players to take time during their cooldown period to rebuild.

During gameplay sessions (or “runs”), players may encounter additional cards and train components that aren’t initially available. These elements are reminiscent of roguelike games. In-between fights, players have the opportunity to buy Trinkets which enhance their train’s performance or provide ongoing benefits like extra card draws. Some cards can also influence the battlefield, for instance, by triggering supply drops that grant additional advantages or causing explosions in adjacent areas.

In many battles against certain game bosses, a bit of luck is essential. My latest demo concluded with a fight against a crafty boss who transformed my supply drops into explosive bombs. To defuse these bombs, I had to place track pieces over them, which disrupted my resource management. But here’s something interesting I discovered during this battle: track pieces placed by one player can be linked to the opponent’s tracks and used to attack their depot.

Battle Train appears deceptively childlike at first glance, but it conceals a deep level of strategy within. One of the game’s standout features is its core concept: connecting train tracks, which sets it apart from other roguelite games. We can hardly wait to see more of this innovative title! Fortunately, we won’t have long to do so, as Battle Train is scheduled for release on PC and Nintendo Switch on June 18. If you’re eager to experience the game’s fundamental idea in action, you can download a free demo immediately on Steam.

This sneak peek showcases an early PC build of the game, which was played during a personal demonstration at PAX East 2025. Keep in mind that the finished game may undergo modifications.

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2025-05-13 00:21